Are rats making my 2 year old ill?

[KiLo13]

Hi All,

So we have rats in then garden and an open sand pit. Can my toddler get ill?

He's had this thing a few times. In the middle of the night he has a very high temperature, he throws up every where and then is fine in the morning. Sometimes he just pukes up after the formula bottle Sometimes not.

The garden behind us has a massive compost heap and the surrounding few gardens have fruit trees. It's basically a rats paradise. We have all spotted them and last summer I caught one in my tree eating a pear!! We are in rented accommodation and there is a sandpit in the garden. It's just a lined hole with sand in it. My little one loves it. I'm worried that there is a connection. He's obviously at that age where everything goes in his mouth. I don't know weather they are weeing in the sand pit or something?

Do you think it's connected? What would you do? Has anyone had a similar experience? Everytime it happens i'm worrying about it!

TIA!

Close off the sandpit while you've got rats.

Absolutely don't let your toddler use the sand pit. Rats can carry many diseases such as hepatitis and weils disease. Even my dogs are vaccinated against leptospirosis!

Rats can carry really nasty diseases. I would stop using the sand pit, change the sand and clean it out, and then only use it if you can cover it between uses so you know rats haven't been in it. If it can't be covered, don't use until the rats are gone.

I don't know if vomiting and fever are symptoms of the diseases rats carry, they are fairly common symptoms of normal viruses, so could just be that, but I wouldn't mess around with it. Sorry. Maybe talk to the council/your landlord about the neighbours?

If you avoid the sand pit for a couple of weeks and he doesn't get the same symptoms, you might have your answer?

Ofc! You or your child can get wheels disease from rat urine !

I would clear out the sand and get new.
Then make sure it’s always covers when not in use.

your landlord should probably sort out some pest control as rats can do serious damage to buildings as well as being a health hazard.

Weil’s disease * 😂

Even if it's not that making your toddler I'll you do need to find a way to cover the sandpit. Cats, foxes and all sorts of other animals will be using the sandpit so it will be high risk for worm eggs. Kids get worms, it's just one of those things but you don't really want to increase your chances.

Quite possibly. You really shouldn't leave a toddler's sandpit uncovered.

As per others then rats can disease. However your son’s symptoms may not be related to this. My DC used to spike a temperature and vomit when a tooth was coming through and for no other apparent reason. Immensely frustrating as we used to deal with it as viral so they’d have to be off nursery for a couple of days. It’s good advice to play in other areas instead and see if the same symptoms continue.

Cover the sandpit when not in use. As pps have said empty it first and sanitise it then put fresh sand in. In re to the sickness it may or may not be related but generally temperatures run much higher at night and you might well just have a pukey kid when they get over hot. I would def be testing your dcs temp when they have an episode of sickness.

Thanks everyone for your advice!
I was thinking that rats are everywhere. Sandy play parks etc. I have spoken to landlord who says there wasn't an issue when we moved in so it's not thier responsibility. Even though it has been a historical problem! I think we are going to get rid of the sand and buy a sand table with a lid and put it in the sand pit. That way it will collect any sand that has fallen out!
Like most of you said it's hard to know either way but as they carry diseases its better to be safe than sorry.
Thanks again for taking the time
X

Ah thats interesting! I bet that is what it is...

I’m not sure whether you or your landlord is responsible but there’s no way I’d watch rats in my garden and do nothing. As pp have said they carry lots of diseases. They will likely end up in your house too. One summer I saw a rat climbing our outside wall towards an open bedroom window! I legged it upstairs! Get a pest controller in asap!